Applications Open
May 3
Applications for the 2024-25 Miss Cherokee and Junior Miss Cherokee Ambassadors, as well as the Little Cherokee Ambassadors, are open. Applications are available online or at the Cherokee First desk located in the W.W. Keeler Tribal Complex in Tahlequah.
Diamond Daze 5K
May 4
Join Cherokee Nation Public Health for this 5K and fun run in Sallisaw. The race will start at the Old Sallisaw High School, 220 W. Creek St., with the 1K fun run beginning at 8 a.m. and the 5K beginning at 8:30 a.m. Register, view the race map and learn more at cherokeepublichealth.org/wings.
At-Large Meeting
May 4
Cherokee Nation is hosting an at-large meeting for Cherokee citizens living in or near Fort Worth, Texas. Be sure to stop by from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Diamond Hill Community Center, 1700 NE 37th St., in Fort Worth, for this exciting meeting with cultural presentations and demonstrations. Visit with Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr., Deputy Chief Bryan Warner and at-large councilors Julia Coates and Johnny Kidwell. Lunch will be provided. Tribal Registration will be on site for photo IDs and citizenship applications. Registration will stop accepting applications for photo IDs 30 minutes before the end of the event. Education Services and Cherokee Vote will also be in attendance to assist citizens. For questions regarding the event, call 918-207-4963.
At-Large Meeting
May 5
Cherokee Nation is hosting an at-large meeting for Cherokee citizens living in the Dallas metro area. Be sure to stop by from noon to 4 p.m. at the Beckley-Saner Recreation Center, 114 W. Hobson, in Dallas for this exciting meeting with cultural presentations and demonstrations. Visit with Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr., Deputy Chief Bryan Warner and at-large councilor Johnny Kidwell. Lunch will be provided. Tribal Registration will be on site for photo IDs and citizenship applications. Registration will stop accepting applications for photo IDs 30 minutes before the end of the event. Education Services and Cherokee Vote will also be in attendance to assist citizens. For questions regarding the event, call 918-207-4963.
National Foster Care Awareness Month Celebration
May 8
Cherokee Nation Indian Child Welfare is throwing a “paper party” each Wednesday in May to celebrate National Foster Care Awareness Month and bring attention to their newly condensed five-page foster care application. Join the Indian Child Welfare office from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Pryor Public Library, 505 E. Graham Ave., and the Will Rogers Library in Claremore, 1515 N. Florence Ave., to speak with a foster care recruiter, ask questions, and learn about the new application. For more information, email homes4kids@cherokee.org.
Free Monthly Luncheon
May 9
All fluent Cherokee speakers are invited to this free monthly luncheon held from 12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. every second Thursday of the month and hosted by the Cherokee Nation Language Department at the Durbin Feeling Language Center in Tahlequah. Gather for fellowship, a free lunch and door prizes. For more information, please call 918-207-4901 or email language@cherokee.org.
Screenprinting Class
May 11
Stop by the Cherokee Arts Center in downtown Tahlequah from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to learn about screenprinting from artist Crystal Walters. This class costs $25 per person — or $40 for you and your mom as an activity close to Mother’s Day. For more information or to sign up for this class, call 918-453-5728 or email artscenter@cherokee.org. Learn more at https://fb.me/e/8IkILHNsZ.
Spring Powwow
May 11
Sequoyah High School’s H.O.P.E. Club will be holding a powwow with grand entry starting at 6 p.m. at the Sequoyah Old Gym in Tahlequah. A free feed event will precede the event from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Follow Sequoyah Schools on Facebook for more information or contact Amanda Little at amanda-little@cherokee.org.
Run for the Berries 5K
May 11
Join Cherokee Nation Public Health for this 5K and fun run in Stilwell. The race will start at the Edna M. Carson Park, 1155 Hickory St., with the 1K fun run beginning at 7 a.m. and the 5K beginning at 7:30 a.m. Register, view the race map and learn more at cherokeepublichealth.org/wings.
Sequoyah High School Graduation
May 14
The Sequoyah High School graduation will take place at 6:30 p.m. at The Place Where They Play gymnasium in Tahlequah.
Breastfeeding Class
May 14
Cherokee Nation Health Services is offering a breastfeeding class for pregnant mothers from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Wilma P. Mankiller Health Center in Stilwell. The class, which will focus on the basics of breastfeeding, infant nutrition, and common breastfeeding issues, is open to all Native Americans. To reserve a spot in the class, contact breastfeeding educator Bailey Waldrop at 918-696-8846.
National Foster Care Awareness Month Celebration
May 15
Cherokee Nation Indian Child Welfare is throwing a “paper party” each Wednesday in May to celebrate national Foster Care Awareness Month and bring attention to their newly condensed five-page foster care application. Join the Indian Child Welfare office from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Stilwell Public Library, 5 N. 6th St., to speak with a foster care recruiter, ask questions, and learn about the new application. For more information, email homes4kids@cherokee.org.
Traditional Native Games
May 18
Join Cherokee Nation for the next round of the tribe’s beloved Traditional Native Games at Sequoyah’s Cabin in Sallisaw. Competitions will include horseshoes, marbles and blowgun which will start at 10 a.m., with the stickball shootout at 11 a.m. and cornstalk shoot, hatchet-throwing and chunkey at noon. Registration will be held 30 minutes before each of the games. Competitors in the hatchet throw, stickball shootout, and cornstalk shoot must bring their own sporting materials for the games. For more information, go to thecherokeeholiday.com/community-games.
Greasy Community Car Show
May 18
The Greasy Community Car Show will take place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Greasy Community Center in Bunch and will include a full day of fun, cars, music and food. Categories for the car show include Top 30, Best of Show, Rat Rods, Work in Progress, People’s Choice, Special Interest and Motorcycles. For more information, contact Whitney Deerinwater at 405-338-5781 or Carrie Burnett at 918-575-6113.
Free Breakfast
May 20
Beginning today through June 27, Sequoyah High School will offer free breakfast and lunch Mondays through Thursdays to all children 18 years and younger at the Sequoyah Cafeteria, 17091 S. Muskogee Ave., in Tahlequah. Breakfast will be served from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. and lunch will be served from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Meals will not be served on Fridays or Memorial Day. This institution is an equal opportunity provider. For more information, contact Deena Johnson at 918-453-5191 or Randy Bighorse at 918-453-5190.
National Foster Care Awareness Month Celebration
May 22
Cherokee Nation Indian Child Welfare is throwing a “paper party” each Wednesday in May to celebrate national Foster Care Awareness Month and bring attention to their newly condensed five-page foster care application. Join the Indian Child Welfare office from noon to 3 p.m. at the Stanley Tubbs Memorial Library in Sallisaw, 101 E. Cherokee Ave., to speak with a foster care recruiter, ask questions, and learn about the new application. For more information, email homes4kids@cherokee.org.
“The One-Act Play That Goes Wrong”
May 24 & 25
Sequoyah High School’s Drama Department will present their hilarious comedy “The One-Act Play That Goes Wrong” at 7 p.m. at the Sequoyah Gymansium in Tahlequah. Tickets are $8 for adults and $4 for children 12 and younger.
Memorial Day
May 27
The Cherokee Nation’s W.W. Keeler Tribal Complex, satellite offices, and health centers will be closed in observance of Memorial Day. Cherokee Nation W.W. Hastings Hospital emergency department and other emergency services will remain open.
2024 Remember The Removal Bike Ride Ceremony
May 28
Join Cherokee Nation at 9 a.m. at the Cherokee Nation W.W. Keeler Tribal Complex in Tahlequah for a send-off ceremony for the 2024 Remember The Removal Bike Ride participants! The cyclists will travel nearly 950 miles in June, retracing the steps of their Cherokee ancestors who were forced to march along the Trail of Tears in the late 1830s.
Voter Registration
May 29
Cherokee Vote will be holding a voter registration drive from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the W.W. Keeler Tribal Complex in Tahlequah. Stop by and register to vote in both Cherokee Nation and Oklahoma elections. There will be Cherokee Vote merch while supplies last! For more information, contact Maggie Glory at maggie-glory@cherokee.org or 918-370-0248.
World No Tobacco Day
May 31
World No Tobacco Day: Join Cherokee Nation Public Health in raising awareness on the harmful and deadly effects of tobacco use. Staff from Public Health will be present in the lobby of every Cherokee Nation health center from 8 to 11 a.m. to recruit Cherokees to quit tobacco use and enroll in our tobacco cessation classes. To learn more about this event or about Cherokee Nation’s tobacco prevention programs, contact Mandy Russell at miranda-russell@cherokee.org or 918-506-7274.
Ongoing Events
Weynema Smith: To Live a Cherokee Life
January 9–May 11, 2024
The “To Live a Cherokee Life” exhibit, which honors and explores the life of Cherokee National Treasure Weynema Smith, is on display at the Saline Courthouse Museum in Rose, Okla. Named a Cherokee National Treasure for Lifeways and Language Preservation in 2022, Weynema has spent a lifetime teaching the Cherokee language and sharing her profound knowledge of Cherokee culture. This new exhibit celebrates her life and mission through the lens of the Cherokee language. “Weynema Smith: To Live a Cherokee Life” includes stories, family photos and various traditional artisan works — including basketry, beadwork and a tear dress — to illustrate her story with special emphasis on the Cherokee language. See the exhibit on display now through May 11. Admission to the museum is free and is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. The Saline Courthouse Museum is located at 55870 S. 490 Road in Rose. For more information, email info@visitcherokee.com, call 877-779-6977 or go to VisitCherokeeNation.com.
Bill Rabbit: Variations on a Rainbow
November 17, 2023–May 12, 2024
Named a Cherokee National Treasure for Painting in 2011, the late Bill Rabbit was renowned for his works depicting Cherokee history and culture. This exhibit looks at such works while exploring art from throughout his career, including Southwest-inspired jewelry, pottery, sculpture, and stone carving. It also examines Rabbit’s experimentation with paint, technique, and color throughout his life. The exhibit includes some 40 works loaned by his daughter — artist and Cherokee National Treasure Traci Rabbit — from her personal collection.
Read more at Visit Cherokee Nation.
Cherokee Delegate: An Unalterable Promise
September 2, 2023–June 1, 2024
Know the history behind Cherokee Nation’s pivotal call to Congress to seat its Delegate in the U.S. House of Representatives. The exhibit “Cherokee Delegate: An Unalterable Promise” looks at a story hundreds of years in the making. Visitors will learn about the treaties between the Cherokee Nation and the United States of America – including the 1835 Treaty of New Echota – at the foundation of this right. The exhibit also discusses how this role is unlike past Cherokee diplomatic representatives, and it looks at the appointment of Cherokee Nation Delegate to Congress Kim Teehee.
Read more at Visit Cherokee Nation.
The Trail of Tears Art Show
Continues through May 11, 2024
The Trail of Tears Art Show at The Gallery at Cherokee Springs Plaza, 3377 Cherokee Springs Road in Tahlequah, continues until May 11. Experience one of the country’s most prestigious Native art shows. Purchase authentic works of art from Native artists. The Trail of Tears Art Show is the longest-running juried Native art competition in Oklahoma. Since 1972, it has fostered the artistic expression of Native American heritage. The event is free. For more information, call 877-779-6977 or email info@visitcherokee.com or go to trailoftearsartshow.com.
Crosslin Smith: The Healer’s Journey
May 14–September 14, 2024
Visit the exhibit “Crosslin Smith: The Healer’s Journey,” on display May 14 – September 14 at the Saline Courthouse Museum, 55870 S. 490 Road, Rose, Okla. Admission is free. The late Crosslin Smith was a spiritual leader and healer in Cherokee Nation. As the grandson of Cherokee traditionalist Redbird Smith, Crosslin kept “the old ways” burning into the 21st century. Frequently invited to address the Cherokee people at important events, Crosslin led in prayers and teachings, bridging the ancestral past to Cherokee Nation today. Before his passing in February 2024, Crosslin and his family assisted in creating an exhibit about his life and work. The exhibit includes pieces demonstrating his pride of military service and commitment to education. It also includes his books and objects demonstrating Crosslin’s commitment to keeping Cherokee traditional spirituality alive for future generations. For more information, call 877-779-6977, email info@visitcherokee.com, or visit the website visitcherokeenation.com.